SABC postpones Motsoeneng's disciplinary hearing

Johannesburg – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) postponed the external disciplinary hearing against its former chief operating office Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the public broadcaster said on Thursday.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said that the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing granted the postponement until May 24, at 6pm. The SABC began the external disciplinary hearing against Motsoeneng on Wednesday.

The hearing is centred around a press conference Motsoeneng held on April 19, and would also be dealing with the issues that Motsoeneng raised during that press conference, Kganyago said.

"The SABC today finished presenting its case and Mr. Motsoeneng’s legal representative requested a postponement for the following reasons amongst others – [the] recusal of the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing; [to] apply for protected disclosure at the [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration] CCMA of the information that was said at the press conference; [and] interdicting the process through the Labour Court," Kganyago said.

At the press briefing on April 19, Motsoeneng rubbished the SABC interim committee, appointed to fix the trail of destruction Motsoeneng is accused of leaving behind at the public broadcaster.

The defiant Motsoeneng is facing concurrent disciplinary hearings stemming from a Public Protector report that found that he had lied about his qualifications, purged staff and increased his salary exorbitantly during his tenure at Auckland Park.

A ruling by the Western Cape High Court in December last year found that Motsoeneng was unfit to hold any office until such time a fresh disciplinary hearing cleared him of any wrongdoing, or if a court set aside the Public Protector’s report.